Wheat-huller.



0. M. GRAVES.

WHEAT HULLER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. a, 1913 Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

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THE NORRIS PETERS C0 F'HOTO-LITHO" WASHINGrON, D. C.

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ORIEL 1V1. GRAVES, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOB T0 WESTERN CEREAL CQMPAN'Y, A CORPORATION OF WASHINGTON.

WHEAT-HULLER.

Application filed August 8, 1913.

To all 107mm it may concern:

Be it known that I. ORIEL M. Gnavns. a citizen of the United States, residing; at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and" State of lVashington, have invented new. and useful Improvements in lVheat-Hullers. j

' the back of the brush 2. Thus the brush of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to wheat hullers and it consists in the novel features hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine adapted to remove the hulls or pericarp from grains of wheat to prepare the same for cereal products.

A further obiect of the invention is to provide a machine of the character indicated in which the hulls are out from the grains of wheat in contra-distinction from removing the hulls by scrubbing, rubbing or scraping.

With the above objects in view the machine comprises a frame which supports a brush having downwardly disposed bristles. A feeding hopper is mounted upon the brush at the center thereof and springs are interposed between the frame and the brush. Also springs are arranged to bear in a downward direction upon the brush and means are provided for regulating the tension of the said springs. A shaft is journaled at the center of the frame. A disk is carried by the shaft and upon the said disk is arranged a series of sectors having file out teeth or cutting edges arranged to rotate below the ends of the bristles of the brush. A flange is located at the periphery of the disk beyond the bristles and a trough is carried by the frame and surrounds the edge portion of the disk.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the machine. Fi 2 is a partial plan view of the sectors. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the sectors enlarged. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the same cut on the line f4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a similar view out on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

The wheat huller comprises a frame 1 at the upper end of which is located a brush 2 having bristles 3. A hopper 4 is mounted upon the back of the brush 2 at the center thereof, Rods 15 extend vertically from the top of the frame 1 and pass slidably through the edge portions of the back of the brush 2. Springs 16 surround the Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedFeb.9,1915.

Serial N0. 783,817.

lower portions of the rods 15 and are interposed between the frame 1 and the back of the brush 2. Nuts 17 having crank handles are screw threaded upon the upper ends of the rods 15 and springs 18 are interposed between the said nuts and the upper side of 2 is resiliently supported with relation to the frame and is resiliently held toward the frame. By adiusting the nuts 17 the tension of the springs 16 and 18 may be regulated so that the brush 2 may be held more or less positively in its position. A shaft 5 is vertically disposed and iournaled for rotation upon the frame 1 under the hopper 4;. The lower end of the shaft 5 is provided with a disk 6 against which a wheel 7 bears. The wheel 7 is mounted upon a shaft 8 which is iournaled upon the frame 1 and which is provided at its end portion with a pulley 19. A screw 20 is slidably mounted in the frame 1 and carries at its lower end a block or bearing 21 upon which the inner end of the shaft 8 rests. A wheel 22 is screw threaded upon the upper end of the screw and rests upon a cross bar 23. By turning the wheel 22 the screw 20 may be moved longitudinally whereby the frictional engagement between the wheel 7 and disk 6 may be regulated. Also a lever Q-l: may be provided for shifting the wheel 7 alone; the shaft 8 in order that the disk 6 and shaft 5 may be rotated at different rates of speed. I

A disk 9 is mounted upon the upper end of the shaft 5 and is provided at its periphcry with an upwardly and outwardly extending annular flange 10. A trough 11 is carried by the frame and surrounds the edge of the disk 9 and the flange 10. A discharge chute 12 is connected at its upper end with the trough 11. Upon the upper surface of the disk 9 is arranged a series of sectors 13 which cover the entire upper surface of the said disk 9. These sectors are secured to the disk in any suitable manner and each sector is provided with a series of file out teeth or blades 14. The blades 14 on each sector 13 are arranged in parallel rows. The longer rows of blades are radially disposed with relation to the center of the disk 9 or approximately so and the shorter rows of blades are arranged tangentially with relation to arcs or circles struck from the center of the disk 9. Each of the blades is invention.

In operation, the shaft'5 is rotated where by the disk 9 and the parts mounted thereon are rotated under the bristles 3 of the brush. At the same time, the grain which has previously been moistened or dampened is de posited in the hopper 4 and from the said hopper the grain gravitates through the back of the brush 2 upon the inner ends of the sectors 13. From the said ends of the sectors, the grain begins to roll by reason of the centrifugal force or action of the disk 9 and the kernels of'thegrain are separated from each other and passed along the blades 14. As the grain passes over the said blades, the hulls are sliced or cut inasmuch as the cutting edges of the blades make incisions in the same. At the same time, the grain works or moves toward the periphery of the disk 9 and during this outward movement it is rolled against the ends of the bristles which separate the cut strips of hulls from the kernels. Therefore when the kernels nels of grain.

are nude. The grain together with the hulls which have been removed are thrown by centrifugal force over the upper edge of the flange 10 and is deposited in the trough l1 and eventually the grain and hulls pass down through the chute l2 and may be collected in a suitable receptacle (not shown). Any means may be provided for effecting the separation of the kernels from the hulls. Thus it will be seen that a simple and ef fective machine is provided for stripping or cutting the hulls or pericarps from the ker- Having described the invention what is claimed is In a machine of the character indicated a frame, a top located above the frame and carrying a brush having downwardly disposed bristles, supporting springs interposed between the frame and the top, a

shaft journaled upon the frame, an abrading disk carried by the shaft and a trough carried by the top and extending down under the periphery of the disk.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ORIEL M. GRAVES. Witnesses:

JOHN A. PEAcocK, B. W. CRANDALL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

The grain thus denuded is especially adapted to be used in the manufacture of cereal products. 

